hMSC are multipotent cells fundamentally characterised by their ability to differentiate into various mesenchymal tissues such as bone, cartilage, tendon, muscle and adipose tissue, among others. hMSC can be isolated from various tissues in adults, including those which are to be found in bone marrow, adipose tissue and the blood of the umbilical cord.
The anti-proliferative, immunomodulating and anti-inflammatory effect of hMSC has centred attention on these cells as potential therapeutic agents in diseases caused by the immune system, including graft versus host diseases, rejection following the transplant of solid organs and autoimmune diseases.
It is known that for the in vitro culture of hMSC it is imperative to preserve their pluripotential capacity, and for this the addition of exogenous factors such as for example basic fibroblast growth factors (bFGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF) and transforming growth factor (TGFβ-1) to a normal culture media is required. However most hMSC are dependent on a specific culture medium and also cannot be cultured on the media which have been conventionally used for the culture of mesenchymal stem cells such as DMEM/F12 medium supplemented with bovine foetal serum qualified for mesenchymal stem cells (MSCQ).